the morning.”
His wife stiffened. “You’re going to abandon me on the holiest day of the year?”
He looked at her in disgust. “Scrap the drama, will ya?”
“It’s Erev Yom Kippur and already we’re fighting,” said Laurie. He watched as his wife, her eyes closed, slowly breathed in through her nose, then out through her mouth. It brought back memories of when she’d been in labor with Rory and he’d coached her through the pain. Keep your eye on the ball, he’d told her. Advice he needed to follow now.
Two older boys in skullcaps and dark suits were watching them from across the room.
Laurie opened her eyes. “Why aren’t you coming to services with me tomorrow?” Ryan’s anger dissipated. This time her voice was non-judgmental.
“I need to make peace with this one family before sundown tomorrow.”
“Do I know this ‘one particular family’ of yours?”
“Nope.”
“How ’bout I go with you? Then we can attend Yiskor and afternoon services together.”
“Who’d watch Rory?” asked Ryan.
“Rory will be in the babysitting room most of the day. Mitzy and her mom will be here, along with your dad.”
“There is no ‘we’ on this one,” Ryan said gently. “I need to go alone.”
Laurie frowned. “Are you seeing another woman?”
He kissed her on the mouth. “Of course not.”
“Do what you gotta do,” she mumbled into his shirt.
Ryan stroked her hair. “I don’t deserve you.”
“Darn right,” she muttered.
“Grant me one favor tomorrow?” he said.
“What’s that?”
“Pray for me.”
She stared up at him. “Okay, now you’re scaring me.”
“There’s nothing to worry about.”
“For what it’s worth, I think you’re doing the right thing.”
“You do?” he asked, surprised.
“If I needed to make one last clean sweep before the New Year started, you bet I’d do it.”
Ryan sighed. Following his clean sweep, their family would never be the same.
Laurie threaded her arm through his. “Ready to go back inside?”
He removed her arm. “I’m going to hang here. Reminds me of the newborn station at the hospital.”
“Huh?” asked Laurie.
“My hands itched to reach through the window and count all Rory’s fingers and toes, reassuring myself our son, not some baby doll, was lying in that plastic bassinet. The special gift you gave me was lying just behind that window but I was too scared to go in and pick him up. I waited until you woke up and we went in together.”
Her lips caressed his forehead. “That is so sweet.”
As Ryan held her close, he thought of another cherished offspring whom he’d carted him off like a barrel of rubble. Tomorrow would be his day of reckoning; the day he asked for the parents’ forgiveness. The day he asked for G-d’s forgiveness. Only then would he be cleansed.
*
“Knock it off, Rocky,” Ryan hissed, tucking in his blue silk tie as he yanked open the front door. “You’ll wake up the whole house.”
Mitzy stood on the front door landing. “Don’t you look hot,” she said, laughing at Ryan’s blush. She bent to pet Rocky. “Your wife and son ready to rumble?”
Ryan checked his watch. “Laurie should be out of the shower in a minute. Rory’s still sleeping.”
“No big deal. If we’re late, we can sit on the side by the choir.”
“Your mom in the car?”
Mitzy nodded. “Catnap. Laurie says you’re doing temple by proxy this morning?”
“Yep. I have an errand to accomplish. I’m meeting her at Yiskor services.”
Mitzy whistled. “Must be some errand to take eight hours.”
“Three hour trek each way.”
“And this errand needs to be done today, on the holiest day of the year.”
“You got it.”
“How come you’re dressed so fancy just to run an errand?”
“Anyone ever tell you to stay out of other people’s business?”
Mitzy snapped her fingers. “Estranged family member you need to make peace with before sundown?”
“Knock it off,” he bellowed,
His wife stiffened. “You’re going to abandon me on the holiest day of the year?”
He looked at her in disgust. “Scrap the drama, will ya?”
“It’s Erev Yom Kippur and already we’re fighting,” said Laurie. He watched as his wife, her eyes closed, slowly breathed in through her nose, then out through her mouth. It brought back memories of when she’d been in labor with Rory and he’d coached her through the pain. Keep your eye on the ball, he’d told her. Advice he needed to follow now.
Two older boys in skullcaps and dark suits were watching them from across the room.
Laurie opened her eyes. “Why aren’t you coming to services with me tomorrow?” Ryan’s anger dissipated. This time her voice was non-judgmental.
“I need to make peace with this one family before sundown tomorrow.”
“Do I know this ‘one particular family’ of yours?”
“Nope.”
“How ’bout I go with you? Then we can attend Yiskor and afternoon services together.”
“Who’d watch Rory?” asked Ryan.
“Rory will be in the babysitting room most of the day. Mitzy and her mom will be here, along with your dad.”
“There is no ‘we’ on this one,” Ryan said gently. “I need to go alone.”
Laurie frowned. “Are you seeing another woman?”
He kissed her on the mouth. “Of course not.”
“Do what you gotta do,” she mumbled into his shirt.
Ryan stroked her hair. “I don’t deserve you.”
“Darn right,” she muttered.
“Grant me one favor tomorrow?” he said.
“What’s that?”
“Pray for me.”
She stared up at him. “Okay, now you’re scaring me.”
“There’s nothing to worry about.”
“For what it’s worth, I think you’re doing the right thing.”
“You do?” he asked, surprised.
“If I needed to make one last clean sweep before the New Year started, you bet I’d do it.”
Ryan sighed. Following his clean sweep, their family would never be the same.
Laurie threaded her arm through his. “Ready to go back inside?”
He removed her arm. “I’m going to hang here. Reminds me of the newborn station at the hospital.”
“Huh?” asked Laurie.
“My hands itched to reach through the window and count all Rory’s fingers and toes, reassuring myself our son, not some baby doll, was lying in that plastic bassinet. The special gift you gave me was lying just behind that window but I was too scared to go in and pick him up. I waited until you woke up and we went in together.”
Her lips caressed his forehead. “That is so sweet.”
As Ryan held her close, he thought of another cherished offspring whom he’d carted him off like a barrel of rubble. Tomorrow would be his day of reckoning; the day he asked for the parents’ forgiveness. The day he asked for G-d’s forgiveness. Only then would he be cleansed.
*
“Knock it off, Rocky,” Ryan hissed, tucking in his blue silk tie as he yanked open the front door. “You’ll wake up the whole house.”
Mitzy stood on the front door landing. “Don’t you look hot,” she said, laughing at Ryan’s blush. She bent to pet Rocky. “Your wife and son ready to rumble?”
Ryan checked his watch. “Laurie should be out of the shower in a minute. Rory’s still sleeping.”
“No big deal. If we’re late, we can sit on the side by the choir.”
“Your mom in the car?”
Mitzy nodded. “Catnap. Laurie says you’re doing temple by proxy this morning?”
“Yep. I have an errand to accomplish. I’m meeting her at Yiskor services.”
Mitzy whistled. “Must be some errand to take eight hours.”
“Three hour trek each way.”
“And this errand needs to be done today, on the holiest day of the year.”
“You got it.”
“How come you’re dressed so fancy just to run an errand?”
“Anyone ever tell you to stay out of other people’s business?”
Mitzy snapped her fingers. “Estranged family member you need to make peace with before sundown?”
“Knock it off,” he bellowed,
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